Leah Remini, Part 5 – Propaganda Techniques
Transcript:
Mark Rathbun:
Leah took me to school on how unreal reality tv is. Watching the second reality series – the Aftermath series – I see it takes it to a whole different level. It is so obviously scripted, rehearsed, acted and dramatized every step of the way it is a whole new level of false impression. I spoke earlier about how Alex Gibney pirated from Roast Beef Productions in the UK – he pirated this format they used in his documentary. Which is to say they came up with this idea of ‘well get the witnesses to say things, but if they won’t go far enough, we’ll bring in Tony Ortega who will say anything for a handout, and he can make it sound like the previous person said something else.” And so they used him (Ortega) interspersed throughout, and Gibney did the exact same thing. Tony Ortega who didn’t participate in the book – it was supposed to be a documentary about the book – is throughout the documentary because he is going to create the premise. In the Aftermath they compound the felony because they use the exact same technique except that the producer, director, talent, actors Leah and Mike Rinder are doing it throughout. They introduce a concept with a bunch of generalities. Then, they have someone say something. Then Remini and Rinder jump back in and interpret and throw out more generalities. And (what was said by the interviewee) is completely and utterly altered, the reality of what the person’s experience was. In other words, the people who participate do not even have to have a story – and to date through Season One not one of them has a story worthy of news. How do I know? Because I knew these people nine years ago when the news was reporting some of the stuff that was going on during the previous ten to twenty years when the media was interested. They did not make the cut then. But, they make the cut now (on Leah’s show) because they’ll say what they are saying, but as introduced by Leah and Mike and interpreted afterwards, and then bridged to their next comment, it all the sudden becomes this nefarious, scary thing. And that is the technique that is used, episode after episode.
Moving On Up a Little Higher 